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Monthly Archives: January 2015

Most memorials are tributes to the ones we’ve lost. We each honor our loved ones in different ways, each memorial as unique as the individual it pays tribute to. However, that hasn’t stopped some people from being memorialized in very eccentric and different ways. Here are some of the weirdest ways that people have been memorialized.

#6 – Modern Day Pharaoh

While he hasn’t passed yet, this one starts off our list. Fred Guentert plans on spending eternity like a pharaoh. For the past 27 years, Mr. Guentert has been building an Egyptian-themed coffin at his home near Orlando, FL. A great admirer of Egyptian art, Guentart has been working on this coffin since the mid 1980’s. Hand crafted and painted, the coffin sits at an impressive 7 feet long and is made from cedar. Speaking of an egyptian send off…

#5 – Bruce Reynolds was scattered in the Valley of The Kings

The Great Train Robbery mastermind Bruce Reynolds, had some of his ashes scattered in the Valley of The Kings in Egypt. Reynolds had been responsible for masterminding the 1963 Great Train Robbery which was the robbery of a royal mail train which lead to the robbers getting away with over 2.6 million GBP, which would be the equivalent of 48 million today.

#4 – Posed on His Motorcycle for His Wake

David Colon had told his family that he didn’t want a traditional casket. So, when he passed suddenly in April, the funeral home organized for Mr. Colon’s body to be dressed in biking gear and placed on top of his motorcycle while his family and friends paid their respects during his wake.

#3 – James Doohan is sent into Orbit

As a final send-off to the man who played Scotty on the original Star Trek series, James Doohan was sent into space according to his last wishes. The ashes of Doohan, were put into a capsule and fired off on a rocket out into space by a private company.

#2 – Hunter S. Thompson is fired out of a cannon

The gonzo writer Hunter S. Thompson, most famous for his book, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas was shot out of a cannon as part of his last wishes. Talk about going out with a bang.

#1 – Boxer Posed In Makeshift Ring At Wake

In February of 2014 mourners of Christopher Amaro, found him at his wake posed in the corner of a makeshift boxing ring. Amaro’s family wanted to do something that commemorated his love for boxing, so they posed him as such.

However you choose to honor the memory of your loved one, there is no wrong way to. Why some memorials might be more eccentric than others, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t done without love and compassion for the one who has passed.

We all know the pain of losing a loved one. When they pass, their memory lives with us, but we still want to celebrate the person and honor their memory. There are many options to choose from when deciding how best to celebrate your loved one’s memory. One such option that people sometimes choose is to scatter the ashes at sea.

Numerous boat captains perform these services, and they are as unique as the individual who the ceremony is honoring. Services for sea scatterings can vary immensely, some include clergy-led prayer or can even be as simple as mourners recalling favorite memories of the person who has passed.

For those thinking of doing a scattering at sea, there are a few things that you must think of logistically to make sure that the ceremony goes smoothly. Firstly, usually you cannot simply dump the ashes, even though most is a sand like substance, the finer particles will blow back on to the boat and can cling to the boat or get on the passengers. A simple container that is biodegradable or water soluble should be used. Memorial Gallery carries several different lines of scattering urns, and even more specifically, carries those meant for scattering at sea. Additionally, most scattering services allow you to scatter flowers or petals, meant as a sign of love for the departed along with the ashes. Finally, with scattering at sea, you are going to have to find out what the occupational limit is for the boat. While scattering at sea is a beautiful and touching memorial, it does not allow for many people to bear witness for the funeral. However, if you’re looking for something more intimate and private, a scattering at sea is the perfect answer for those needs.

Death is one of life’s most difficult realities. We all have lost loved ones, so we know that it’s a very painful and emotional experience. During this time, empathy and patience is tantamount. At Memorial Gallery, it is our honor and privilege to assist you and your family during this difficult time. Your complete satisfaction is our goal. If you’re curious about our products or would like us to help you can always reach us at our website or by calling us at 1-877-996-URNS.

For those of us who want to scatter the remains, but want to still keep some back as a memento of those we’ve lost, there are other options other than the traditional urn. While thumbprint jewelry and other memorial jewelry exist, for those who want something a little more subtle, there are memorial gems and crystals. This unique jewelry allows you to create a beautiful memorial of your loved one. This style of cremation jewelry will instantly become an heirloom for generations to come.

This option is becoming more and more popular among memorial options by creating a one of a kind memorial of the loved one who has passed. Cremation gems are lab grown and include the ashes in the process. All sorts of crystals and gemstones can be made this way, including diamonds! While a more expensive option, there is no doubt that it is an extremely unique option to memorialize someone. Additionally, creating a cremation diamond is a long process and can take upwards to a year to create. Unlike memorial diamonds, the crystals are made by infusing a combination of glass with the ashes, and while it makes a crystal that is softer than diamond, they do normally hold up extremely well, thus letting the memorial jewelry become an heirloom if you so choose. When working with a funeral director who offers this service, each piece is created by hand and is given a personal touch with your specifications in mind.

Whether you go with a piece of cremation jewelry to have a subtle memorial option for your loved one or you go with the more traditional memorial urn or scattering, Memorial Gallery is honored to serve your family.

It is always hard to say goodbye to a loved one, when they’ve been with you for so long, it’s hard to think of life without them. Everything you see or do, you see them in it. Everyone always says that the hardest part of grief is letting the person go. However, even though their physical presence may be gone, there are different ways in which you can honor their memory, here are some options you can consider.

Tree Memorials

With the rise in popularity of cremations, green memorial options are becoming more widely available. One such style are biodegradable urns that are also starter planters for a tree. Most of these come with different tree seeds in them so you can pick and choose which one you feel would best memorialize your loved one.

Blooming Memorials

Like the tree memorials talked about above, there are also options such as seed embedded memorials that contain perennial seeds. This living tribute can be a favorite flower that the person enjoyed, and can be passed out to friends and family so they all have the ability to create a personal memorial for the deceased.

Memorial Web Site

Additionally, if you wanted to build something online, you can create a memorial website for the deceased. This could be used as a repository for photos as well as favorite memories of the person. There are many different internet providers that have free space for websites.

Memorial Jewelry

As we’ve written about in the past, memorial jewelry is becoming a very popular memorial option for the surviving family members. This can range from fingerprint and photo jewelry or can even be gem jewelry that is made from the cremation ashes. Additionally, many companies will also create custom jewelry that with your input can create the best memorial for your loved one.

Volunteer

A good way to remember someone can also be to help others. Volunteering to be a grief counselor, or setting up a charity or fund in their name for a cause they supported can sometimes be the best way to memorialize something by helping contribute to something they loved.

A Memorial Bench

Whether it is in your local park, or just in your backyard, making a memorial bench for your loved one can give you the support and rest you need during your time of grief. If you would like to create a memorial bench in your local park, you should find out if your local municipality has a program to do that.

Memorial Album

Like the website, you can ask family and friends to donate pictures or stories to create a memorial album of your loved one. This will help create a physical memorial that can be looked through to remember them.

Garden Tribute

If you feel up to it, creating a memorial garden is another alternative for memorializing your loved one. You can create a flower garden to which all forms of life can come and feed off the flowers or stay as a safe haven and just place a plaque saying whatever it is you want to say to memorialize your loved one.

Losing a loved one is never easy to come to terms with. However, by memorializing their life and love it can help you be proactive and honor the person you lost and help you on your own path while you work through your grief.